Divider strip assembly

ABSTRACT

The present disclosure provides a packaging device having a packaging strip with an outer surface and an inner surface. A plurality of projections are formed on the packaging strip at spaced apart locations along the length of the packaging strip. The projections extend outwardly from the strip outer surface. A protective layer is disposed over the strip outer surface and the plurality of projections.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No.60/883,130, filed Jan. 2, 2007, the disclosure of which is herebyexpressly incorporated by reference.

BACKGROUND

Shipping containers often include interior structural components ordunnage to secure and protect the contained goods during shipment and/orstorage. For instance, when shipping slabs of natural or artificialstone or other similar materials, dunnage is disposed between the stoneslabs to separate the stone slabs and prevent the slabs from scratchingeach other. The dunnage normally includes a plurality of dividers orseparators that position the slabs within the container and prevent theslabs from contacting each other during shipment. Currently availabledunnage assemblies are made of a hard plastic material, which oftenscratch or otherwise damage the stone slabs. Foam pads may be positionedbetween the stone slabs; however, the foam pads are not capable ofpositioning the slabs within the container in a sufficiently securemanner for shipment.

Thus, it is desired to have a packaging device that securely separatesstone slabs or other similar materials without scratching or damagingthe slabs. The packaging device must be sufficiently sturdy and durableto withstand the weight of the materials disposed within the container.However, the packaging device must also be lightweight and easy tomanufacture such that it does not significantly increase the cost ofshipment.

SUMMARY

The present disclosure provides a packaging device having a packagingstrip with an outer surface and an inner surface. A plurality ofprojections are formed on the packaging strip at spaced apart locationsalong the length of the packaging strip. The projections extendoutwardly from the strip outer surface. A protective layer is disposedover the strip outer surface and the plurality of projections.

This summary is provided to introduce a selection of concepts in asimplified form that are further described below in the DetailedDescription. This summary is not intended to identify key features ofthe claimed subject matter, nor is it intended to be used as an aid indetermining the scope of the claimed subject matter.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The foregoing aspects and many of the attendant advantages of thisdisclosure will become better understood by reference to the followingdetailed description, when taken in conjunction with the accompanyingdrawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 is an isomeric view of a plurality of packaging devicesconstructed in accordance with one embodiment of the present disclosure,wherein the packaging devices are received within a container;

FIG. 2 is an isometric view of a packaging device; and

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the packaging device of FIG. 2,taken substantially across line 3-3.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

One suitable embodiment of a packaging device 10 will now be describedwith reference to the drawings where like numerals correspond to likeelements. Referring to FIG. 1, the packaging device 10 is shown in usewith a container C having stone slabs S disposed therewithin. Thepackaging device 10 is used to separate the stone slabs S within thecontainer C such that adjacent stone slabs S do not substantiallyscratch or mar each other. Although the packaging device 10 is shown inuse with stone slabs S and a container C, it should be appreciated thatthe packaging device 10 may be used to separate any suitable artificialor natural stone material or other natural or artificial buildingmaterials of a planar or slab composition during shipment and/or storagewithin a container or other shipping or storage unit. Accordingly, thefollowing descriptions and illustrations herein should be consideredillustrative in nature, and thus, not limiting the scope of the presentdisclosure.

Referring to FIGS. 2 and 3, the packaging device 10 will now bedescribed in more detail. The packaging device 10 includes athermoplastic strip 12 having an upper surface 18 and a lower surface20. The strip 12 may consist of any suitable thermoplastic material,such as high impact polystyrene sheeting, high density polyethylene,acrylonitrile butadiene styrene, etc. The thermoplastic strip 12 isformed in any suitable shape; however, the strip 12 is preferably anelongated, rectangular strip of material that may be cut to anypredetermined length to fit within a container C or other shipping orstorage device. Moreover, multiple strips 12 may be joined together attheir ends to form a packaging device 10 of a predetermined length. Forinstance, the strips 12 may be joined together with an adhesive, asnap-like feature, a tab, or other suitable fastening means.

A plurality of projections 14 are formed on the strip 12 and extendupwardly from the upper surface 18 of the strip 12. The projections 14are thermoformed or vacuum formed on the strip 12 such that they have ahollow interior. As such, the packaging device 10 is lightweight anddoes not significantly add to the shipping weight of the container C,thereby minimizing additional shipping costs. The projections 14 are anysuitable shape and size to sufficiently separate most stone slabs S whenpositioned against the packaging device 10 within the container C. Forexample, the projections 14 may be frusto or triangular-shaped. Theprojections 14 are positioned transversely on the strip 12 and spacedevenly in a substantially parallel arrangement along the length of thestrip of thermoplastic material 12. The projections 14 are typicallyspaced about 2-3 inches apart depending on the thickness of theprojection and the thickness of the slabs S to be separated.

The outer surface 18 of the strip 12, and therefore the outer surface ofthe projections 14, is covered with a protective foam plastic layer 16.Preferably, the strip 12 and projections 14 are covered with a crosslinked polyethylene foam; however, other types of foam, such aspolyurethane foam, polypropylene foam, etc., are also within the scopeof the present disclosure. The protective foam plastic layer 16 may beapplied to the strip 12 and the projections 14 in any manner well knownin the art, such as by spraying, molding, etc. Preferably, theprotective foam plastic layer 16 is thermal formed with projections andthereafter glued to the outer surface 18 of the strip 12. The foamprotective layer 16 helps prevent the packaging device 10 fromscratching, marring, or otherwise damaging the stone slabs S when theslabs S are received between the projections 14, especially duringshipment.

Referring back to FIG. 1, multiple packaging devices 10 are mounted orplaced within a suitable shipping container C so as to separate andprotect the stone slabs S when received within the container C. Theprojections 14 serve as dividers for stone slabs S positioned edgewisebetween the projections 14 within the container C. The protective foamplastic layer 16 helps prevent the packaging device 10 from scratchingor marring the stone slabs S during shipment or storage of the stoneslabs S.

The packaging devices 10 are mounted or positioned on opposite sides ofthe container on the interior of the container C to provide balancedsupport and separation of the stone slabs S. The packaging devices 10are mounted or received within the container C in any suitable manner,such as with adhesive, fasteners, etc. In one non-limiting example, atleast one packaging device 10 is positioned against the top interiorsurface T of the container C, and at least one packaging device 10 ispositioned against the bottom interior surface B of the container C. Thetop and bottom packaging devices 10 are oriented in the same directionto slidably receive the top and bottom edges of the stone slabs S.Multiple packaging devices 10 may be positioned against the top andbottom interior surfaces T and B of the container C to provide addedsupport. Moreover, packaging devices 10 may be additionally positionedon the interior sidewall surfaces X (only one sidewall surface shown forclarity) of the container C to engage and separate the side portions ofthe stone slabs S.

While the preferred embodiment of the present disclosure has beenillustrated and described, it will be appreciated that various changescan be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of thepresent disclosure.

1. A packaging device, comprising: (a) a packaging strip having an outersurface and an inner surface; (b) a plurality of projections formed onthe packaging strip at spaced apart locations along the length of thepackaging strip, the projections extending outwardly from the stripouter surface; (c) a protective layer disposed over the strip outersurface and the plurality of projections.
 2. The packaging device ofclaim 1, wherein the projections are vacuum formed, hollow projections.3. The packaging device of claim 2, wherein the projections are formedin a substantially parallel arrangement to each other and generallytransversely relative to the length of the strip.
 4. The packagingdevice of claim 1, wherein the protective layer consists of a foamlayer.
 5. The packaging device of claim 1, wherein the projections areadapted to separate a plurality of stone slabs.
 6. A packaging assembly,comprising: (a) a container having at least first and second opposinginterior sidewalls; (b) at least first and second packaging devicesdisposed within the container, the first packaging device positionedagainst the first interior sidewall, and the second packaging devicepositioned against the second interior sidewall, each packaging devicecomprising: (i) a packaging strip having a bearing surface; (ii) aplurality of projections formed on the packaging strip, the projectionsextending outwardly from the strip bearing surface; and (iii) aprotective layer applied to the strip bearing surface and the pluralityof projections.
 7. The packaging assembly of claim 6, wherein theprojections are vacuum formed, hollow projections.
 8. The packagingassembly of claim 7, wherein the projections are formed transversely onthe packaging strip and spaced in a substantially parallel arrangementrelative to each other along the length of the packaging strip.
 9. Thepackaging assembly of claim 6, wherein the protective layer consists ofa foam layer.
 10. The packaging assembly of claim 6, wherein the firstand second packaging devices are adapted to receive a plurality of slabsof building material edgewise between the first and second packagingdevices.
 11. The packaging assembly of claim 10, wherein the first andsecond packaging devices are adapted to receive the plurality of slabsof building material such that the slabs are separated by theprojections.